Festival of Stars
by Pocky King Windy
Summary: Yaoi - Hiroshi/Yuki x Shuichi/Ryuichi - Summer is here, and the Festival of Stars is observed in Tokyo. Bad Luck is invited to sing in a prestigious High School prom night, triggering some memories in Hiroshi’s part. Let's throw nostalgia away...


Festival of Stars

友達のえがお

Disclaimer: These characters belong to Murakami Maki © or Sony Entertainment ©. The fanfiction belongs to me.

Warning: None, because Gravitation IS a Yaoi anime.

Plot Cockroach: Summer is here, and the Festival of Stars is observed in Tokyo. Bad Luck is invited to sing in a prestigious High School prom night, triggering some memories in Hiroshi's part. A last kiss between friends… Let's throw nostalgia away for tonight.

The Japanese title means a 'friend's smile'. I thought that 'friend's smile' was a corny title for English fictions… Then I got this wallpaper that had stars on it and I really think it's pretty na no da!!

Pairing: Hiroshi x Shuichi + Yuki + Ryuichi

Note: The characters look like that from the manga.

_________________

_Setting the mood: I recommend listening to Anti Nostalgic while reading this (especially the scene in HS)._

"Festival of Stars… I think it's very romantic."

The pink haired singer looked up, cracking a grin at his younger sister. He had come home to spend a day with his family before staging a performance that night. He had had his dream; lived it – he had become a singer in one of Japan's top bands, he had gotten enough money to build that million yen house he and Maiko had discussed about, and he was living with Yuki Eiri, his dream guy.

Shuichi had everything a man could want.

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?"

Maiko stared at her brother in silence. Shuichi stared back.

"What?"

"Nothing…" she smiled. "I just remembered how you used to laugh at me for always being that romanticist… always reading _somebody's_ novels… and your dreams of owning a million yen house that you've never built till this day…"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Shuichi swatted Maiko on her head with his boyfriend's newest book. "I just didn't want a high profile –"

"Big brother, you're a STAR!! How can you not have a high profile even without building a house? You should be making one for us, your family!" she snorted, annoyed at her brother taking her words lightly and settling back with his book. "Even Hiro agrees with me!"

"Oh? What does Hiro agree about?"

"That you're a good-for-nothing bum!"

"Well, our mother doesn't think that's true…"

"That's because you're intimately involved with her favorite writer!" Maiko grinned as Shuichi's face went aflame, nearly as red as the tank top he was wearing. "Oh, now somebody's shy… heh, heh!"

"I'm not talking to you anymore, my cute little sister. Now go away!"

"But I thought you came home to visit us!"

"Away!"

"But---"

"Do you, or do you not want that pint of Yuki Eiri's aftershave lotion?"

Maiko scooted off to her room, leaving her brother in peace. Shuichi grinned. Dusk was setting, and minute stars could be seen twinkling in the inky blue horizon. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, just like…

Just like… the last time.

_…Let's throw our past away, best friend._

Shuichi closed his eyes and smiled. He had to get ready for the big show.

________________

"Well, I'm off."

Hiro grinned at no one in particular, tossing his gaze to the nighttime sky. It was cloudless and clear, triggering a faint nostalgia. Hiro had seen this night before, silent, yet deafening with the music of his heart… their song. A love song.

The youth walked on, planning to take an easy time journeying to the school where they were supposed to stage their 'coup' over the pretty people in Japan. The breeze swept his dark chocolate locks against his brow, and Hiro could hear the whispers and the shouts of some of his neighbors as he walked by, guitar slung round his frame.

"Hey there!"

Hiro turned around to see a smiling Ryuichi on the wheel of a sporty red car. He flashed one of his charming smiles at the singer, painting a faint blush on the older man's cheeks. Ryuichi was a lot like his best friends in so many ways. But Hiro couldn't bring himself to get close to the singer. He didn't want to hurt his feelings by having him become a… replacement.

"Hello, Sakuma-san."

"Um… hey! Do you wanna ride na no ka? You can't possibly walk all the way to that High School! You didn't ride your bike either!" Ryuichi offered. "You'll break your legs na no da!"

"It's only a short distance. Don't worry," Hiro smiled. "I appreciate your concern, but you needn't go all the way out of your own for me."

"…I'm going there too, na no da!" Ryuichi beamed. "I love seeing Shuichi sing! He's so shiny!! Kumagorou thinks so too!"

"Ah… thanks, then!" Hiro got into the car. As he fastened his seatbelt Ryuichi sped off in the general direction of the school. Hiro smiled. He could imagine sitting next to Shuichi were he to have his eyes closed. Distinctly the longhaired brunet could smell the fresh scent of raspberries soaked in the sun, coupled by the sweetest oranges. And that brought Hiro back to reality. This was Ryuichi. He was different from Shuichi. His best friend smelled of strawberries and marmalade jam.

"Umm… Hiro-kun?" Ryuichi averted his gaze momentarily from the road to look at his companion. "Are you okay na no ka?"

"Yeah…"

Ryuichi didn't say anymore. He just smiled, his eyes reflecting the starlight. Hiro felt his heartstrings snap and the unbearable pain that resulted in that clench at his mind, causing his to feel a sudden wave of nausea.

So much love to give, but so little to gain in return. Ryuichi would give him anything.

And Hiro knew exactly how it felt.

That's why he couldn't accept it. To make a man who loved him so much a substitute for what he could have… just wasn't fair.

"Sakuma-san… please stop here."

Ryuichi looked at him, those very star-glazed eyes asking a million questions, all of which Hiro knew the answers to, but couldn't answer all the same.

"I… I'd like to walk. I need to… clear my head. Thank you for the ride." The brunet bowed, and then began to walk down the road.

"Hiro-kun!"

He turned around. Ryuichi was still smiling. But this time his eyes didn't reflect the stars.

"Goodbye. Thanks for riding with me."

"See you at the concert." Hiro resumed walking down the tarred road, the warm summer breeze playing with his long hair. His simple white dress shirt was a stark contrast to the dark sky.

_______________

The open-air stage was decorated with blue and white lanterns and silver glitter, and so was the poolside. The school was overlooking a lake, on a cliff. Shuichi gazed around in wonder. He'd never seen a school that richly decorated or strategically placed in his entire life! And they had been able to afford to invite Bad Luck to sing for them as well! Secretly Shuichi envied them.

He grinned and waved at his friends when he finally spotted Hiro and Suguru making their way towards him. The concert was about to begin. They just had to have a word with the principal before they got started.

"Greetings. You must be Bad Luck."

"Hi, Mr. Principal!" Shuichi greeted the young man cheerfully. The man in turn blinked and laughed heartily.

"I'm not the principal! I'm only one of the teachers in charge… this is the organizer." A boy with a rather pretty face stepped up, bowing politely. "Anyway Mr. Principal is ill today, an unfortunate incident, but I hope that we can proceed with no further complications."

"Right-o!" Shuichi smiled. He bounced up the steps of the stage, grabbing the microphone. "LAAAAALLYHOOOOHHHH!"

Everyone, including the organizer, teacher, the students, Hiro and Suguru, jumped. Shuichi laughed, sheepishly scratching his head. "Ah well anyway! We're gonna start soon! My favorite sidekicks! Where are you?"

"You mean the grand imperial great mighty and handsome guitarist Nakano Hiroshi and his sidekicks," Hiro corrected Shuichi. Suguru rolled his eyes, going up the steps carefully with his keyboard. They set their equipment while the students took their places on the grass. It was freestyle there – they could sing along, dance to the music if they wanted to, or simply cheer Bad Luck on.

"Hit it, best friend!!"

"Yes, master," Hiro laughed, tuning his guitar up. As the few notes filled the breezy summer air, Hiro felt himself transported back to time, when he and Shuichi were a duo, just the two of them… singing their songs, silly and childish as they were.

Because then, Hiro and Shuichi were really who they were before everything took a turn as they did. They weren't Bad Luck yet… before the fateful night of the Pelshana.

…Before Yuki Eiri.

When Hiro and Shuichi were the Great Guitarist Nakano Hiroshi and his sidekick.

The music ended, and the last notes were played. Everyone else was still dancing, swaying to the melody of their hearts. Shuichi paused, looking thoughtful. He suddenly grinned. "PEOPLE!!"

The students jumped for the second time that night. They stared at the singer, bug eyed.

"Sorry for interrupting, but I would like to sing another song… it's a special. Is that okay?"

Several students beamed and the girls giggled. Shuichi grinned and winked at Hiro and Suguru. "Suguru-kun! You can take a break now! I just need Hiro to back me up this time!"

Suguru smiled knowingly, leaving his keyboard and making a beeline for the punch table. Shuichi turned to Hiro, smiling. "Hiro?"

"Now, what are you up to this time?"

"Remember that song we used to sing… way back when we were in High School… umm, Anti-something?"

"I don't remember the name… something like… anti-memory… yeah… You still remember the lyrics?" Hiro stared at Shuichi. The pink haired singer grinned, fishing out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket.

"Whoa!! That's dated way back! You kept it?"

"I…" Shuichi blushed. "I just couldn't throw it away."

_Too many precious memories._

_Then, it was just the two of us._

_I had a best friend. I just wanted you to smile._

"Shuichi…"

"Let's throw our past away, best friend."

Hiro laughed suddenly. "You still remembered that, huh?"

"Yeah… don't you?"

"I do," Hiro smiled. "I remember every note."

They turned to the expected crowd. "People, we present you an old song… it's never been sung before while we were a band. But Shuichi and I have gone through a lot together. We have sung this once, when we were… sixteen? Seventeen?"

Shuichi merely smiled, his eyes reflecting the stars in the nighttime sky.

透明が　夜空染めて

一人歩く　いつもの歸り道

口ずさむ　こんな気持ち

眠る君に　届けたいな OH... UM...

何かに帯びえてる　自分がちょっと嫌になる

告げる想い　とり残した日々に．．．

どこかに忘れてる　心がちょっと痛くなる

時をつなぐ　星の夜に君を探してる

A memory, lost in the entrapment of time. Hiro wanted to transcend it; to bring it all back… but…

涙がこぼれてる　笑顔がちょっと欲しくなる

君のそばに居れるだけで　ぼくは．．．

誰かが問いかける　理屈がもっと欲しくなる

消える影に　まぶし過ぎた日々を映してる

The last note trailed off. No one was listening anymore. Shuichi smiled at Hiro.

"Hiro…?"

"Hmm?"

"How about a last kiss to seal our friendship?"

Hiro blinked, confused. "Shuichi, we… should we…?"

"I think so."

"Alright then." Hiro looked at the crowd that was slowly stopping their movements. In the crowd, he caught a smile directed to him, wistful, yet wishing him the best. It was midnight. A kiss to seal all friendships… to seal the night. Shuichi giggled all of a sudden. The brunet lifted a brow.

"I remember the name of the song now! It's called Anti Nostalgic."

Hiro smiled. "Well then, let's throw nostalgia away for tonight, Shuichi." He leaned in to place a small kiss on his best friend's lips, in sync with the rest of the youths on the dance floor.

The stars burned brightly in the pitch-black sky. On this festival of stars, four years ago, two people had sealed their friendships with a kiss for success. This was just how it had been, how it always will be. A best friend's smile was treasure above all love.

~*~ おわり ~*~

Notes: Wow, the song ended just as I stopped typing the last word! 0_o Yeah, I was listening to it in a loop. I'm crazy, aren't I? Heh, heh! Poor Ryuichi, I really broke his heart. ^^;


End file.
